Whilst recent studies suggest that over 95% of British undergraduate students are regularly using social networking sites, we still know very little about how this phenomenon impacts on the student experience and, in particular, how it influences students' social integration into university life. This paper explores how pre-registration engagement with a university Facebook network influences students' post-registration social networks. Research was conducted with first year undergraduates at a British university using an online survey. Students reported that they specifically joined Facebook pre-registration as a means of making new friends at university, as well as keeping in touch with friends and family at home. The survey data also illustrate that once at university, Facebook was part of the 'social glue' that helped students settle into university life. However, care must be taken not to over-privilege Facebook: it is clearly only one aspect of students' more general social networking practices and face-to-face interrelationships and interactions remain important. Students thought Facebook was used most importantly for social reasons, not for formal teaching purposes, although it was sometimes used informally for learning purposes.

This paper presents a description and evaluation of Myartspace, a service on mobile phones for inquiry-led learning that allows students to gather information during a school field trip which is automatically sent to a website where they can view, share and present it, back in the classroom or at home. The evaluation focused on three levels: a micro level, concerned with issues of usability; a meso level, which examined educational effectiveness in terms of learning breakthroughs and breakdowns; and a macro level, which looked at the impact of the new technology on school museum visits practice. Issues of implementing mobile learning across school and museum settings are identified and cross-level influences are discussed. The study showed that the service was effective in enabling students to gather information in a museum and this provided resources for effective construction and reflection in the classroom. Minor usability problems did not detract from the learning, however there are significant issues concerning how to structure the visit and on the viability of Myartspace as a regular service.

This paper explores the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a teaching and learning tool. In particular, it focuses on the impact of new technology on students' learning. An investigative study was undertaken using two cohorts of students taking modules supported by WWW pages. Two modules were selected. These were taught by the same lecturer but adopted distinctly different approaches to delivering module content via the WWW. The administrative structure of both pages was similar in the delivery of basic information, lecture themes, assessment details, outline of essential reading, etc. However, the depth of the material provided in support of each lecture topic, and the styles of assessment for each module, were quite different. The study identified distinct differences in confidence in using the WWW and perceptions of its value for learning, between the two student cohorts. It is proposed that this is a reflection of the depth of material provided and the type of knowledge acquisition encouraged by the contrasting styles of the WWW pages.

This paper explores the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a teaching and learning tool. In particular, it focuses on the impact of new